The World Agroforestry Centre at Rio+ 20

Posted Fri, 06/15/2012 - 20:07 by EKahurani

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The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) supports Rio+20’s focus on
sustainable development and hopes the conference will establish a sound
development basis for the rest of the 21st Century by adopting as a
guide, strategies agreed upon at the 1992 United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED), agreements from World Summit on
adopting Sustainable Development (WSSD) and other high profile
sustainable development meeting proceedings such as from COP17.

Our key messages to RIO+20

The future of humanity through the rest of the 21st century depends
upon an integrated and sustainable intensification of agricultural
production (crops, livestock, trees, fisheries and energy) to deliver
consistent food, nutrition and energy and to address and overcome the
negative effects of land degradation, loss of biological diversity,
water scarcity and the effects of climate change.

Sustainable intensification of agricultural production can be
achieved through Climate and Development Smart Agriculture. Such
agriculture achieves the necessary increases in food production and
energy, builds the resilience of the underpinning ecosystem (land, water
and results in biological diversity) and enables smallholder farmers to
adapt to climate change while mitigating it by reducing and avoiding
the emission of greenhouse gases at all land scales.

Agroforestry is a vital component of resilient ecosystems and
resilient livelihoods because it can serve as a central practice for
achieving climate- and development-Smart Agriculture.

The drylands are the best chance
we have to achieve multiple goals at a scale that has significant and durable
impact. Globally, the drylands support 2.1 billion people, with the majority
still dependent upon the success of extensive grazing systems and sustainable
crop production intensification. Yet, drylands have been considered marginal
subject to degradation, loss of biodiversity and ineffective water management while
the people they support have been marginalized. Targeting drylands is key in
the march towards sustainable development because of the strong connection
between land degradation and desertification and other global issues, including
climate change, droughts and floods, famine, poverty and social disruption). Read
more

Payment for Ecosystem Services
(PES) is increasingly recognized as a tool for sustainable management of
natural resources. Although PES was initially intended to achieve conservation
goals, the dependence of the majority of rural populations upon local
ecosystems have brought about a consideration of PES being designed to be both
pro-poor and community-based. This can be achieved by integrating
pro-development objectives into the design of PES schemes. ICRAF and the
consortium WWF/CARE International, for example, proposed an approach of pro-poor
rewards for environmental services and equitable payments for watershed
services, with the objective to deliver sustainable natural resource management
and improve livelihoods for the rural poor. Read
more

Fair Ideas: Sharing
Solutions for a Sustainable Planet

Lead-organizer:
International Institute for
Environment and Development (IIED)

Date: 17 Jun 2012

Time: 11:30 - 13:00

Venue:
Room T-9, Auditorium, RioCentro,
Rio de Janeiro

In recent years, private sector
expectations of higher agricultural commodity prices and government concerns
about longer-term food and energy security have triggered a wave of large-scale
land acquisitions for agricultural investments in Africa, Asia and Latin
America. Dubbed 'land grabs', land acquisitions have kindled much international
debate: some see new livelihood opportunities in lower-income countries, others
raise concerns about negative social impacts, threats to local food security
and the risk of marginalizing family farmers. Still others point to more
inclusive models of agricultural investment and sustainable agricultural
intensification as the main way forward. This session will discuss the
challenges and opportunities concerning private sector investment in
agriculture, with a focus on possible ways forward, particularly investment
models that support and build on the aspirations of small-scale farmers. Read
more

World Day to Combat Desertification: Securing
Healthy Soils and Stopping Land Degradation - Outcomes for Rio+20

Organizers: UNCCD Secretariat; Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), European Commission.

Date: 17 June 2012

Time: 10:30-19:00

Venue: Rio Conventions
Pavilion, Athletes Park

The demand for life’s essentials will rise
significantly in the next 20 years. About 50% more food will be needed, 40%
more energy and 35% more water. How will these demands be met and with what
resources? Past trends show that land, the foundation of these goods and
services, is not only getting destroyed, but is outside the radar screen of
policy-makers because there is no political will to get something done. Read
more

Partners: Government of
Japan, UN University, UN Development Programme, World Agroforestry Centre
(ICRAF)

The Satoyama Initiative is a comprehensive
effort to benefit biodiversity and human well-being through promoting the
conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in human-influenced
natural environments. The Initiative has demonstrated global appeal across
sectors and was specifically recognized in 2010 at CBD COP10. Human-influenced
natural environments or socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPLs) are
found all around the world; they have been formed and maintained through
sustainable land use, and support human life by providing various goods and
services.

During the side event, there will be presentations by leading experts and an
in-depth panel discussion examining the effectiveness and usefulness of the Satoyama
Initiative. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of new
business models based on sustainable land use including mosaic landscape
management. Read
more

Shortly after the world urban
population surpassed the world rural population and the food price crisis of
2007-8, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD17) called for strong
rural-urban linkages and partnerships between countryside and communities, to
enhance livelihoods and food security. Food Security and Cities are both
priority theme areas of the green economy in the context of sustainable
development and poverty eradication. Read
more

Thirteen
learning events will share knowledge on successful, concrete examples of
successes that illustrate one of the recommendations from the Commission on
Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. Read more

Aiming for a Food Secure Future -
Think Global, Act Local

Date: 19 June 2012

Venue: SHERATON RIO HOTEL & RESORT Av. Niemeyer,
121 – Leblon

Time: 09:00am – 19:00pm

This event is jointly organized by the Rome-based
Agencies (FAO, IFAD, WFP and Bioversity International) to focus attention on
the issues of fighting hunger and malnutrition, reducing poverty and enhancing
the resilience and sustainability of production systems and people’s
livelihoods. It will also address best practices and strategy orientations for
the future, and make recommendations to support communities and governments in
overcoming hunger and promoting sustainable rural development in a holistic
manner. Read
more